meekorouse's review
3.0
I actually liked this book a bit better than An American Exodus (1939) re-print (1969), in that the intro here provides a more complete understanding of Lange, her background, personal life, and her various Works projects.. I have long been a fan of Lange's Depression/Dustbowl images.. with their stark, soul-filled haunted expressions... and while American Exodus provided a larger survey of time and place regarding the Depression era.. THIS book deals specifically with early 1940s SF/ East Bay.
These images are witness to both the forced removal of Japanese-American families for internment, contrasted with the "importing" of Mexican laborers to help with the work shortages, and the even larger population influx that occurred with the shipbuilding industry. A few of the images might be a bit repetitive (MacDonald Ave, Richmond or the the 10th St Market, Oakland), but through this, you get a sense of the process and theme she employed in photographing a larger sample of War-boom subjects. As a photography hobbyist, I feel I have learned a little something extra beyond the historic value of the photos.
These images are witness to both the forced removal of Japanese-American families for internment, contrasted with the "importing" of Mexican laborers to help with the work shortages, and the even larger population influx that occurred with the shipbuilding industry. A few of the images might be a bit repetitive (MacDonald Ave, Richmond or the the 10th St Market, Oakland), but through this, you get a sense of the process and theme she employed in photographing a larger sample of War-boom subjects. As a photography hobbyist, I feel I have learned a little something extra beyond the historic value of the photos.
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